Machine for twisting the eyes of wire reels



, April 3, 1928. 1,665,069

G. A. PAFF mourns FOR TWISTING was ms OF WIRE REELS Filed Sept. 24, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \NVENTOB April 3, 1928. 1,665,069

. G. A. PAFF MACHINE FOR TWISTING THE EYES 0F WIRE REELS Filed Sept. 24, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m mm 3 INVE-N'I'OE Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. PAFF, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSI GNQR TO WHEELING. STEEL CORPORA- TION, F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, .iA OOR. EOBATION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR TWISTING THE EYES OF WIRE 'REELS.

Application filed September 24, 1926. Serial No. 137,478.

This invention relates broadly to wire twisting devices, and more specifically to a machine for forming a twisted eye in wire reels of the type employed as spools for carrying in coil form lengths of fence wire and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device by means of which the eye-forming overlapping I portions or members of wire reels or spools may be relatively rotated to form therein eye defining twists which serve rigidly to maintain said members against relative eye-distorting movement.

In describing the invention in detail, refer once is herein had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a. side elevation of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the jaws of. the machine;

Figure 4: is a section on line 4.4, Fig. 3,

with the jaws in their closed relation; and- Figure 5 is an end elevation of a wire reel embodying an eye of the character produced by means of the invention.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates an rigidly mounted on the face thereof, as by means of bolts 2, a bracket embodying two supporting arms 3 and 4. The lower arm 4 has rigidly mounted thereon, as by bolts 5, a stationary jaw which comprises a pair of parallel horizontally disposed side plates 6 and. 7 which have in their confronting-faces semi-circular channels or ways 8 in which arev received laterally disposed semi-circular webs 9 formed on the oppositev faces of a semi-circular gear segment 10.

Pivotally mounted on the supporting arm 3 is the inner end of an upper jaw which comprises a pair of parallel side plates, 11 and 12 which have in their confronting faces semi-circular channels or ways 13 in which are received webs 14 formed on the opposite faces of a gear segment 15 designed to. complement the aforesaid gear segment 10.

In the lowered position of the upper j aw the latter rests upon the lower jaw in a position in which said gear segments 10 and 15 occupy closely seated complemental relation so that rotary movement imparted to. one thereof is communicated to the other, said segupright support of pedestal form which has 11'181111S rotating together in the manner of a gear of ordinary unitary structure. Obviously, in such seated position of the upper jaw the ends of the ways 13 thereof accuratelymeet in ways 8 of the lower jaw to form continuous circular bearingchannels in which the. webs 9 and 14% may freely ro- When the upper jaw becomes seated, a

book 16 fixed upon the outer end thereof is latch is adaptedautomatically to be engaged with the hook 1 6 when the upper jaw is lowered. Beveled faces are provided on. said hook and latch for facilitating the inter- '80 engagement thereof in an obvious manner.

A pinion 19 is at all times, disposed in mesh with one or,- the other of the gear segments 1 0 and 15, thesa-me being-located between the S1l6- plates 6 and 7 and being carried by a shaft 20 which is journaled in the latter. Said shaft may berotatedby any suitable means, as by means of a hand crank 21 carried on an end thereof.

The upper is normally maintained in its elevated position by counterweights 22 and 23,-t-he former being carried by the rear ends of parallel levers 24; which are pivoted intermediate their ends uponv the upper end of the pedestal 1. Links 25 connect the front ends of said levers 24 to a crosshead 26 in which is mounted the upper endof a plunger 27. Said plunger is vertically movable in a guideway28 provided therefor in a. bracket 29 carried by the pedestal 1 in an appropriate position, and has formed on its lower end an eye-piece 30 provided with an eye 31 of, horizontally elongated or slot-like form. A bolt 32- mounted' in, brackets 33 carried by the side plates 11 and 12 of the upper jaw is directed through the eye 31. Thus, the counterweight acts through the levers 24-, links 25, crosshead 26, plunger 27 and bolt 32 for assisting in the support of i the upper jaw in its elevated position. no

The counterweight 23 is carried on the rear ends of parallel levers 34 which are pivoted intermediate their ends on the lower part of the pedestal l and which carry a treadle 35 011 their front ends. Links 36 have their lower ends pivoted to said levers 34st suitable points and have their upper ends mounted on trunnions 37 borne by the crosshead 26, as shown. It will thus be seen that the counterweight 23 supplements the counterweight 22 in normally maintaining the upper jaw elevated.

The gear segment 10 has formed in the middle portion of its straight edge a shallow cross recess 38, and in the middle portion ol said recess is a socket 38 in which is seated an approximately cylindrical eye-sizing member 40, the latter being secured in place by a bolt 41. Each of the side plates 6 and 7 has therein a shallow cross channel 42. Similar cross channels 43 are also pro vided in the side plates 11 and 12 of the upper jaw, the same being designed, when the upper jaw is lowered, to complement the channels 42 of the lower aw in the formation of openings through which the crossingportions of a wire reel R located at opposite sides-of the eye thereof may extend, whilethe overlapping arcuately curved eyetormlng members a, occupying the posltions recess 38 of the lowerjaw in encircling relation to the member ll). The gear segment 15is also recessed, as shown at 38*, to correspond substantially with the recess 38 of the segment 10.

In practice, the reel R is placed in a position on the lower jaw in which the eye-w forming members is disposed'as above described, whereupon the upper jaw is depressed to its seated position on said lower jaw and is interlocked with the latter through the intermediacy of the latch 17 and hook 16, as hereinbefore described. Then, by rotation of the hand crank 21, the

pinion 19 is actuatedto rotate the complemental gear segments 10 and 15 for efiecting turning of the overlapping eye-members a, whereby twists b are formed in the contacting portions of said members, as shown in As is apparent, in forming said twists b, by one or more turns of the crank, the eye is reduced from the diameter shown "in dotted lines to that shown in full lines in said figure, the interior diameter being substantially equal to the exterior diameter of the eye-sizing member 40 embraced b the eye forming members a.

Following the twisting of the eye-forming members, the latch 1'?- is disengaged from the hook 16' by downwardly directed pressure applied by hand to ahandle a l carried by the latch. f

Whatis claimed'is i 1. In a machine for twisting the eyes of driving of said gear. 7 a

for twisting the eyes of wire reels, a pair of relatively movable jaws adapted for receiving therebetween an eye portion of a reel, a pair of complemental gear segmentscarried'by and rotatablein jsaidjaws, and a pinion rotatably mounted on one of said jaws and operable for rotating said segll'ients.

2. In a machine for twisting the eyes of wire reels, a pair of relatively movable members, a segmental gear carried by said members and rotatable with respect thereto,the

gear segn'ients being'adapted for receiving the eye portion of a reel therebetween a pinion carried by one of said members, and

means for rotating said pinion for effecting plemental relation, said segments being designed to receive therebetween the eye por-- tion of awire reel, and means for rotating said gear segments.

4. In a machine for twisting the eyes of wire reels, asupport, a stationary member j v carried by said support, a member movable shown. in dotted lines in Flg. a, lie in the to and from seated relationto the stationary member, a pan-of complemental sem1-c1rcular gear segments carried by said members the eyc'portion o'fa wire reel, and means for f rotating said segments.

5. In a machine for twisting the eyes of wire 176615, a support, a'st-ationary member carried by said support, a member movable to and from seated-relation to the stationary member, each of said members having thereln a semi-clrcular channe'hsaid channels forming a circular path when said movable member occupies its said seated position, a pair of complemental gear segments having laterally projecting portions disposed for travel in said channels, and means for rotating said segments, said'segments having their interengaging edge portions recessed for the reception of the eye portion of a wire reel. a

6. Ina machine for twisting the eyes of wire reels, a support,a stationary member.

carriedbysaid support, a member movable to and from seated relation to the stationary member, means normally maintaining said movable member elevated with respect to i said stationary member, means for movingsaid movable member to seated position with respect to said statlonary member, said members having therein complemental portions of a circular channel, a pair of semicircular gear segments having portions disposed for travel in said channel, said segments having recesses in their interengaging edges, and means for rotating said segments. I

7. In a machine for twisting the eyes of wire reels, a support, a stationary member carried by said support, a member movable to and from seated relation to the stationary member, means normally maintaining said movable member elevated With respect to said stationary member, means for moving said movable member to seated position with respect to said stationary member, said members having therein complemental portions of a circular channel, a pair of semi-circular gear segments having portions disposed for travel in said channel, said segments having in their interengaging portions recesses for the reception of an eye portion of a Wire reel, an eye sizing member disposed in the recess of one of said segments, and means for rotating said segments.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- 25 ture.

GEORGE A. PAFF. 

